CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The currently active version, Falcon 9 Block 5, has flown 146 missions, all full successes. On 20 October 2022, Falcon 9 set a new record of 48 launches (all successful) by the same launch vehicle type in a calendar year. The previous record was held by Soyuz-U, which had 47 launches (45 successful) in 1979.

Detailed explanation-2: -The first rocket version Falcon 9 v1.0 was launched five times from June 2010 to March 2013, its successor Falcon 9 v1.1 15 times from September 2013 to January 2016, and the Falcon 9 Full Thrust 182 times from December 2015 to present. The latest Full Thrust variant, Block 5, was introduced in May 2018.

Detailed explanation-3: -Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket. Reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access.

Detailed explanation-4: -Since then, Falcon 9 first-stage boosters have been landed and recovered 169 times out of 180 attempts, including synchronized recoveries of the side-boosters of the Falcon Heavy test flight, Arabsat-6A, USSF-44, USSF-67 and STP-2 missions.